Violet Hudson

In defence of Melania Trump

We all love Michelle Obama. Of course we do. For the last eight years she has been ‘mom in chief’ of America – and the world. She has personified grace, courtesy, warmth, humour and, not incidentally, shown us what a good marriage looks like. Tirelessly supportive of her husband, but successful in her own right, she has become a symbol of what a modern woman can be. She rose from a working-class background to attend Princeton and Harvard. She overcame racism and sexism to become a hugely successful lawyer. As First Lady, she was endlessly elegant and engaged, working to promote healthy eating, educational opportunity and women’s rights.

It has become a point of honour among certain sections of the liberal intelligentsia to take a very different stance with the new first lady, Melania Trump. Designers have refused to dress her: Marc Jacobs said he had ‘no interest’ in her wearing his clothes, while Tom Ford claimed ‘she’s not necessarily my image.’

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